As those of you who travel Foxhall Road between Reservoir Road and Whitehaven Parkway on a regular basis have undoubtedly noticed, work to improve Foxhall Road is already in full swing (see more information here). This work will last until the end of April and includes the installation of a new stoplight across from the German Ambassador’s residence, marking the entrance to the Foxhall Campus, and construction of deceleration and acceleration lanes on the northbound side of the street. (Check out our new banners, generously donated by a St. Patrick’s parent, hanging on the fence adjacent to the deceleration lane below.)

Road construction, however, is not the only work occurring along the perimeter of the new athletic field. This week, our team installed the support poles for the netting that will surround the field, protecting any surrounding homes from errant passes.

I had the good fortune yesterday during my photo expedition of happening upon the scoreboard installation team. Despite some difficulty with high winds, they had managed by mid-morning to install the bottom portion of the board, below.

Located on the north side of the field opposite the stadium, the top part of the scoreboard is branded with St. Patrick’s logo. I can’t resist giving a shout-out to Mr. Barrett whose brilliant idea it was to replace the usual “HOME” on the top left of the board with the cross-section of the Wolfhound you see above.

And last but not least, a few shots of the stadium area. Now that the concrete is dry, access to the plaza and stadium is easier than ever. Standing in the bleachers, one can quickly ascertain the size and quality of this project. A parent joined me on my visit yesterday, so please don’t hesitate to contact me, Chris O’Shea, for a tour at osheac@stpatsdc.org.

Now that the Foxhall Campus is starting to look more like, well, a campus rather than a construction site, I thought I’d take you on a bit of a virtual tour to help you visualize what the finished product will look like. The entrance to the Foxhall Campus will be located directly across from the German Ambassador’s residence on Foxhall Road, where a new stoplight will be installed. Upon entering, you will see before you the cul-de-sac entrance road before you. The photo below is taken from the perspective of this entrance road and, in fact, accurately reflects its height. The road will follow the curve of the retaining wall.

After passing through the entrance gate, visitors will see a staircase on the right-hand side, leading down to the 3,000-square-foot plaza area.

Now that the concrete has been poured, we really get a sense of its size–what a great place for fans to gather before the game, for athletes to recap the game and enjoy snacks, for other special events! The possibilities are endless.

The picture below is the view from the top of the staircase, giving a sense of the height of the entrance road as compared to the field level (just above two stories).

And the field itself . . .

Over the next several weeks, our improvements to Foxhall Road will begin. The photo below is taken from the southwest corner of the property, standing in what will become the deceleration (i.e. right-turn) lane into the Foxhall Campus. (Notice the newly-installed iron fencing that will separate the sidewalk from the property.)

After the road work is completed, there will be an 8-foot sidewalk and green space between the deceleration/acceleration lanes and the Foxhall Campus. Once we have more information on the exact date that roadwork will begin, we will let you know. In the meantime, please drive safely and slowly along this stretch of road!

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend last week’s Community Forum on Expansion Planning–we enjoyed the opportunity to let you know about some of the exciting changes that are coming to the physical education and athletics program at St. Patrick’s in anticipation of this phenomenal new facility! Please look for a newsletter with more details in your mailbox over the next several days.

And remember, tours of the site are always available! Please contact me, Chris O’Shea, in the Development Office at 202.342.3453 or osheac@stpatsdc.org.

Happy New Year, followers! Our New Year’s resolution here at St. Patrick’s is to “think sun” at least once a day. While our outdoor project is, clearly, weather-dependent, our devoted contractors have made substantial progress since our last update despite 2011 having had the most extreme precipitation on record in the United States.

Taking advantage of what few dry days there have been (and even working weekends), the construction team has backfilled the retaining wall to nearly street-grade. The photo below, looking south, shows Foxhall Road (marked by the black fencing on the right side) and the backfilling as far as the tunnel (marked by orange barrels on the left side). The acceleration lane coming out of the Foxhall Campus will be built to the right of the small yellow flag in the middle ground.

Dramatic progress has also been made in the stadium/plaza area. Where weeks ago the contours were a bit rougher, lines have been sharpened and we can see that the plaza area (right side, in front of the retaining wall along Foxhall Road) has been graded and covered with gravel that will sit beneath the concrete.

And the outlines of the field itself are more obvious than ever.

Below, we see the northeast corner of the field and a portion of the Dell (left), the Foxhall Campus’ 1.53-acre plot of designated green space.

Easy to imagine the Wolfhounds playing here in just a few short months! Also, please mark your calendars for the evening of Tuesday, January 31 at 6:00 pm for our third Expansion Planning Community Forum. We’ll have a detailed project and campaign update as well as the first public announcement of changes to our physical education and athletics program for next year. You will receive your invitation by email early next week. Childcare will be provided; we look forward to seeing you!

A “little bird,” also known as a certain former Project Management Committee Chair, took this fantastic photo of the Foxhall Campus while flying into D.C. this past weekend. A member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee recently commented jokingly that one would likely be able to see the Foxhall Campus construction from space, and this picture does nothing to undermine that assumption.

Back on the ground, this view of the stadium area shows us the progress since the last post. The concrete for the stairs between the sets of bleachers has been poured, nearly completing this section.

On the north side of the large retaining wall, we see what remains of a large stock of calcium derivative that is being used to dry the soil that will be backfilled (no, that’s not snow!). While consistently dry weather is clearly ideal, the construction team has begun taking matters into our own hands–utilizing this and other methods, including gravel deposits, to make the site less muddy.

The reinforced earth wall on the south side of the field, below, has risen substantially since our last check-in. As you can see in relation to the house, the walls are nearly one storey tall.

In this pulled-back view, you can see the height of the field–the height the reinforced earth wall will eventually reach. Remember that after it is complete, the wall will be landscaped and Green Giant arbor trees will be planted along the perimeter to mask the view from the surrounding houses.

Finally, I am happy to report that some members of the Board of Trustees and Development Committee joined me for a Foxhall Tour this week. Please contact me, Chris O’Shea, in the Development Office at 202.342.3453 or osheac@stpatsdc.org to schedule yours!

Though I intended this week’s post to be a detail on the reinforced earth wall being constructed on the south side of the new field (progress shown below), the unusual opportunity to wander the site this afternoon after most of the construction team had departed allowed a close-up view of the progress that has been made on an area of the site that is usually inaccessible.

Notice anything different in the photo below? Backfilling has accelerated on the north side of the retaining wall that will support the entrance road. The tunnel is now completely covered on one side, and the earth has been raised approximately 2/3 of the way up the wall. Eventually, the backfill will raise the land to the current elevation of Foxhall Road.

Walking down the truck path that leads around the side of the retaining wall farthest away from Foxhall Road, we can see that the massive earth pile has been significantly reduced as much of it has been used for filler (though, in truth, it is difficult to convey the scale of what is still a VERY large pile).

The view below is looking toward Foxhall Road. The spot where this photo was taken will soon be backfilled, under some twenty-plus feet of dirt.

Upon rounding the wall, we have a spectacular view of the  field and stadium area.

The two photos below show us the best view we have seen yet of the stadium area and the bleachers (which have been completely poured with concrete, as you can see). The spaces between the sets of benches are stairs and have not yet been poured. It is easy to imagine these benches filled with cheering Wolfhound fans!

And last but not least, a view here of the sun setting over a portion of the Dell. Until next time!

Cold and windy but (most importantly) dry, the Foxhall Campus was abuzz this morning—so much so that our normal photography route was blocked with dump trucks and backhoes continuing to backfill the north side of the retaining wall that will support the entrance road to the Foxhall Campus.

This week’s photos, taken from the south and east sides of the site, show the great progress that has been made in the stadium area. In the photo below, we can see the wooden frames shaping the poured concrete benches and stairs.

And an even closer view . . .

Below, we have another view from the same location on the east side of the field, looking toward the retaining wall. From here, we can see the scale of the wall that will support the entrance road. Vehicles will enter off of Foxhall Road at that height, and visitors will use a staircase near the entrance to access the plaza and stadium.

The next photo, below, shows the location of the stairs that will access the plaza area as well as the location of the chair lifts for fans with mobility issues.

And along the south side of the field, below, work continues on the reinforced earth wall. In the bottom right corner of the photo below, we can see the southernmost edge of the wall taking shape.

A close-up of the structure of the reinforced earth wall is below; constructing it is an interesting process and will be the subject of the next post.

As an aside, members of the original Project Management Committee took a tour of the Foxhall Campus last Tuesday. We encourage you to do the same, if you are interested. Please contact me, Chris O’Shea, in the Development Office at osheac@stpatsdc.org to schedule your tour.

After a rare October sleet storm this weekend, the Foxhall Campus construction team is looking forward to a drier week which means that activity on the site will be ramped up accordingly.

This morning, the team is preparing the stadium and plaza area for concrete pouring over the next few days.

A closer view, below, shows the rebar that will shape the stairs and benches of the stadium seating area (right side). The workers are standing in what will become the plaza area above the bleachers.

And finally, a view from above—the plaza in the foreground and the seating area below (photo below).

In another major development, the earth wall that will support the south side of the athletic field has taken dramatic shape (below). As we can see in the photo, the field will be situated several feet above the residential road adjacent to it. Screen trees will be planted along the edge of the wall where the construction crew is standing.

In the last photo for today, a backhoe works to firm up the shape of the field’s southeast corner.

Stay tuned for another update later this week, when contractors plan to begin laying the stonework that will support the earth
wall.

The retaining and support walls that will form the “stadium” section of our project are approximately 75% complete. As you can see in the photo below, the contours of the seating section and the plaza area above it are clearly visible. The concrete walls in the background will form the back of the stadium area, while the 3,000-square-foot plaza area will be built on the elevated earth section just below. The lower wall, visible below the plaza, will form the barrier between the field and the seating area. The bleachers, of course, will slope upward from the lower wall and end upon reaching the plaza.

A closer view of the plaza area, below, reveals a better sense of its scale. Though difficult to differentiate, the lower level (where the bleachers will be constructed) is visible on the right side, marked by orange posts.

The next photo, taken from further down the field, shows the height differential between the stadium seating and the plaza area. The seating area will accommodate up to 600 Wolfhound fans.

And finally, the photo below (taken from the southwest corner of the field) gives us a sense of scale and shows the actual field area which has been largely flattened and graded. The final elevation of the field will vary only by inches.

The construction team has also begun the utility work that must occur before beginning the work to expand Foxhall Road. Once that work is complete, construction of the acceleration and deceleration lanes that will be added along the northbound side of the road will begin.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year. Beginning this week, the blog will be updated every Monday. Please check back often!

Since the end of summer, we have made great progress on the Foxhall Campus. The retaining wall that will support the entrance road has been completed, as has the tunnel that will eventually connect the athletic field to the rest of the campus.

The construction team has begun to backfill along the back of the wall (using the large pile of earth on the left side of the photo above). The dirt is filled carefully against the wall in 8-inch increments, the team ensuring that moisture and air pockets are removed and stability is measured after each level is completed. When filling is complete, only the indented portion at the top of the wall will be visible from Foxhall Road.

Looking north from the back southern side of the property (near Hoban Road), we can see the plaza area and bleachers beginning to take shape (photo above). The plaza, approximately 3,000 square feet, is visible on the far left side of the photo. The bleachers will begin behind the wall (where the construction workers are standing) on the right side of the photo, and slope upward toward the plaza.

The slope of the stairs leading from the plaza area to the bleachers can be traced by the large steel beams beginning on the left side of the photo above. There will also be two chair lifts available near the stairs for accessibility.

We’ll close this post with a panoramic view of the northern half of the field. With the retaining wall and the bleachers/plaza area clearly taking shape, the orientation of the field also becomes more self-evident. Stay tuned next week for more great progress!

Since the introduction of the Irish Wolfhound as the Day School’s official mascot last winter, our community has eagerly awaited the unveiling of the associated logo. That wait is over! We are proud to share the St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School Wolfhound
with you, above.

Working with volunteer leadership—including members of the Board of Trustees, the Project Management Committee and its Athletic Subcommittee, and the Parents Association—the Day School administration partnered with Chris Marlow of Innovative Identity to create the new logo. (We also worked with Innovative Identity several years ago to create the St. Patrick’s logo and seal.) The sleek design captures the distinct vitality, strength, and tenacity of the Wolfhound and of our own athletes.

Its simplicity will allow us to use the logo in a number of ways, including on our new physical education uniforms (which utilize only the stylized word “Wolfhound”) and sports uniforms, on apparel sold by the Parents Association, and to augment physical spaces dedicated to physical education and athletics including the Gymnasium and Performance Center and the new field on the Foxhall Campus.